Businessman Pleads Guilty To 3 Charges In City Police Computer Scam

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Art Bedway the businessman was the first of many to be investigated with regard to how the city does business.

And today changed his plea to guilty on three of seven counts including conspiracy, bribery and mail fraud.

KDKA’s Marty Griffin caught up with Bedway Tuesday afternoon and asked him if it’s difficult to hear his name associated with the term guilty.

“Yes, it is,” he said.

At issue is a contract for radios and computers in police cars. But Bedway’s lawyer says then chief Nate Harper was the mastermind.

“It was his idea,” said defense attorney Martin Dietz after the hearing. “This could not have happened without Nate Harper. It just couldn’t. He brought his own person in, she’s the one who solidified the bid for the company in which he was a partner.”

“So this indictment never mentions who this un-indicted person, a person known to the grand jury is,” asked Hayes. “That is Nate Harper?”

“That is Nate Harper,” replied Dietz.

But Harper’s lawyer, Robert DelGreco, disagrees.

“Frankly Nate is disappointed and outraged that these would be publicly made because it’s simply not true,” DelGreco said. “He didn’t mastermind anything, was involved in no criminality with regard to art Bedway and certainly didn’t take any money from him.”